Transient arrested in connection with burglaries

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One man was arrested, and one cited, in connection with a series of burglaries after stolen property was located at a homeless encampment off Bennett Street.

On Monday afternoon, a resident of the 500 block of Maryland Drive reported a residential burglary that had occurred the night before, according to Grass Valley Police dispatch reports. The resident had returned to find the door kicked in, the house gone through and a vehicle missing.

Numerous items had been stolen, including the keys to two vehicles, said Police Capt. Rex Marks. One of the sets of keys was to the missing Chrysler, Marks said.

That vehicle was subsequently located near Kidder Cemetery at about 5:30 p.m., without its keys, and returned to the owner.

A man identified as Christopher John Day, 38, was located by a police officer near Maryland Drive and Kidder Avenue at about 6:45 p.m. Day is “well-known” to law enforcement and had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear on a misdemeanor charge, Marks said.

He was detained and the keys to the Chrysler allegedly were found on him.

A search warrant for his encampment off Bennett Street was subsequently obtained and officers allegedly found almost all of the stolen property from the Maryland Drive burglary, as well as additional stolen property from other burglaries. Some of the items found included a TV and electronics, Marks said.

A man identified as Richard Lee Potter, 44, was cited on suspicion of possession of stolen property.

A Jeep Cherokee that had been reported stolen also was located at the camp site, but has not been officially linked to the two men.

On Sunday, a man had reported to Nevada City Police officers that in a drunken state, he had let a stranger, whose name he did not know, drive him back to his hotel and then leave in his Jeep.

That incident is currently under investigation, Marks said.

Marks urged county residents to safeguard their belongings, including their vehicles, and keep a record of any identifying information on their valuables, such as engraved numbers or unique characteristics. Day was booked into county jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary, vehicle theft and the outstanding warrant; he is being held in lieu of $26,000 bail.